Combination tow, lift, and light bar



Oct. 6, 1959 E. J. DELANEY 2,907,295

COMBINATION TOW. LIFT AND LIGHT BAR Filed April 1. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

lawn {24m fia'vrey Octl 6, 1959 E. DELANEY 2,907,295

COMBINATION TOW. LIFT AND LIGHT BAR Filed April 1 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V TOR.

United States Patent 2,907,295 COMBINATION TOW, LIFT, AND LIGHT BAR Edward J. Delaney, Joliet, 111.

Application April 1, 1957, Serial N0. 649,977

2 Claims. (Cl. 114-435) over the water on their skis. Another object is to provide a bar which also may be used to lift the boat. Still another object is to provide a bar surrounding the outboard motor for protection of the same. My bar may also have removably attached thereto a light bar providing a row or chain of lights so as to protect the boat when it is mounted on a trailer and is being towed behind an automobile.

My invention contemplates such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will'later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, yet I wish it understood thatthe same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevational view of my tow bar attached to a boat with outboard motor and showing ski lines attached; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my device; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view with the light bar disengaged; Fig. 4 is a front elevational view with the light bar attached; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detailed sectional views of forms of my bracket; Fig. 8 is a face view of another form of my bracket; Fig. 9 is a side elevational view thereof; Fig. 10 is a view of the end portion of one form of my bar; Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the stay pin and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the light bar.

One embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a bar 10 having a main or laterally extending portion 11 and integral therewith a pair of opposite side or longitudinally extending portions 12 and 13. Said portions are preferably rounded and each has an inner end 14. For each end 14, I provide a bracket 15. Each bracket 15 has a back wall 16 with a plurality of spaced holes 17 therethrough. Screw bolts or other suitable fastening means 18 extend through holes 17 and into transom 19 of a boat to attach each bracket. Each bracket 15 has a centrally disposed outstanding hollow nipple 20 attached to the front surface of said back wall 16.

In one embodiment the nipple is slightly larger than the end 14 and receives the same. In another form the nipple is smaller than end" 14 and extends into the hollow end. In either construction spaced holes 21 in the nipple 20 and spaced holes 22 in the end 14 of bar 10 register and receive a pin 23 for holding the parts in attachment.

Since the transom 19 of the boat extends at an angle downwardly and inwardly, and it is necesary that the bar 10 be straight with reference to the water and not 2,901,295 1 V I Patented oct. 6, 1959 ICC.

extend diagonally downwardly toward the water, the nipple 20 .extends diagonally upwardly and outwardly from the back wall 16 to compensate for the downward inward diagonal angle of the transom 19 for positioning bar 10 so that it does not extend toward the water.

In another form of my bracket 15, the back wall 16 is wedge-shaped to compensate for the slant of the transom, so as to position nipple 20 rearwardly on a straight line without any diagonal toward the water.

In another form, my bracket 15 has a pair of spaced plates 24 and 25 extending forwardly from back wall 16. With this form of bracket each of the inner ends of bar 10 has a flattened portion 26, to extend between plates 24 and 25. Each of plates 24 and 25 has a short top 27 extending forwardly and a bottom 28 alsoextending forwardly but for a longer distance than top 27 with a downwardly diagonally extending portion 29 between top 27 and bottom 28. Each bracket has a plurality of spaced holes 17 in back wall 16 for receiving screws 18 to attach the bracket to the transom 19 of a boat. In some instances a nut 30 is positioned on the inner surface of the transom 19 and screw threaded onto each screw 18. A plurality of aligned holes 31 in plates 24 and 25 and spaced sufficiently apart on a diagonal to compensate for the diagonal extent of the transom so that bar 10 may be held straight and not diagonal toward the water. A stay pin 32 is provided to extend through aligned holes 31 in plates '24 and 25 and holes 22 in flattened end 26 of bar 10. Another stay pin 32 is provided to extend through aligned holes 31 in plates 24 and 250m a lower diagonal and hole 22 in end 26 to hold bar 10 to bracket 15. This is repeated for the other bracket 15. I

Each stay pin 32 has a body portion 33, an integral curved right angled portion 34 and hinged to the other end of the body portion 35 a weighted member 36. When the stay pin 32 has been inserted through aligned holes 31 and opening 22 the weighted portion 36 will drop.

Suitably attached to laterally extending portion 11, by welding or other suitable means is extension 37. A cap or outer member 38 is slidably attached to extension 37 by a pair of spaced bolts 39, the outer ends of which are attached within cap 38. Said bolts 39 extend through and slide within extension 37' and laterally extending portion 11, and their inner ends extend above portion 11 where each bolt receives washer 40, and is screw threaded for screw threaded thumb nut 41. A plurality of spaced openings 42 are provided in extension 37 to join with openings 43 in cap 38. These openings are enlarged by space between them when cap 38 is moved away from extension 37 to receive spaced pins 44 in light bar 45. Once the pins 44 are inserted into the openings 42 and 43, nuts 41 are tightened to close extension 37 against cap 38. This constricts openings 42 and 43 so that plus 44 are held tightly therein. Light bar 45 has a plurality of lights 46, to which wires are connected within light bar 45 which lead to an electrical source of power. My light bar is usually used when my boat is moved on a trailer to be driven from the home where it is stored to the watering place, such as a river, or lake, or from the watering place to the home.

When my boat is ready for use in the water, the light bar 45 is removed, by loosening nuts 41 and spacing cap 38 from extension 37. Cap 38 is pushed against extension 37 and the nuts 41 again tightened. Bar 10 is then used as a lifting device to move the boat in the water. It is also valuable later for lifting the boat out of the water.

With the boat in the water, the closed spaced openings 42 and 43 are adapted to receive the tow ropes or hooks of tow ropes of one or more water skiers. My construction provides even tension on the transom of the boat during the pulling of the water skiers and prevents the ropes from entanglement with the prop.

My combination tow bar, lift bar and light bar is preferably shown as being attached to the transom of a boat, but it may be attached to the side wall or any other suitable place of a boat.

Having thus described my-in-vention, I claim:

I. A water skiers tow bar for attachment to a boat having a downwardly and inwardly extending rear transom and an outboard motor extending behind the transom, comprising a U-shaped bar having a pair of spaced longitudinal portions having ends and an integral connecting lateral portion, a pair of spaced brackets attached to the transom, the ends of the spaced longitudinal portions attached to said brackets, said ends and said brackets having means for compensating for the diagonal attachment of said brackets to the transom so that said lateral portion of said bar is positioned in a plane substantially parallel to theundisturbed surface of the water and does not extend diagonally downwardly toward the water, an extension attached to said lateral portion, said extension having spaced openings therethrough, a cap attachedto said extension, said cap having spaced openings therethrough, the openings of said extension and the openings of said cap being in register and adapted to receive tow ropes to be held by water skiers pulled by the boat, said U-shaped bar extending around the outboard motor for protection of the same and its lateral portion extending behind the outboard motor so as to prevent the tow ropes of the water skiers from entanglement with the outboard motor.

2. A water skiers tow bar for attachment to a boat having a downwardly and inwardly extending rear transom and an outboard motor extending behind the transom, comprising a U-shaped bar having a pair of spaced longitudinal portions having ends and an integral connecting lateral. port-ion, a pair of spaced brackets attached to the transom, each of said brackets having a back wall and a pair of spaced plates extending forwardly from said back wall, each of said longitudinal portions having a flattened end portion, said flattened end portions positioned between said spaced plates, said flattened end portions and said spaced plates each having registered holes on a diagonal to receive attaching means to compensate for the diagonal attachment of said brackets to the transom so that said lateral portion of said bar is positioned in a plane substantially parallel to the undisturbed surface of the water and does not extend diagonally downwardly toward the water, an extension attached to said lateral portion, said extension having spaced openings therethrough, a cap attached to said extension, said cap having spaced openings therethrough, the openings of said extension and the openings of said cap being in register and adapted to receive tow ropes to be held by water skiers pulled by the boat, said U-shaped bar extending around the outboard motor for protection of the same and its lateral portion extending behind the outboard motor so as to prevent the tow ropes of the water skiers from entanglement with the outboard motor.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,000,580 Chamberlain et a1 Aug. 15,- 1911 1,621,168 Kluver Mar. 15, 1927 2,120,619 Matthiesen June 14, 1938 2,269,822 Kowalsky a- Jan. 13, 1942 2,349,997 Strandlund May 30, 1944 2,667,569 Lethcoe Jan. 26, 1954 2,683,069 Kimmel July 6, 1954 2,783,015 Kampa Feb. 26, 1957 2,784,028 Swider et a1 Mar. 5, 1957 2,785,563 Strollis Mar. 19, 1957 

